SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ MOBILEKIDS TOUR, AT LAKESIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL ON TUESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2004, AT 7.00 PM

SPEECH BY MR THARMAN SHANMUGARATNAM, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE MERCEDES-BENZ MOBILEKIDS TOUR, AT LAKESIDE PRIMARY SCHOOL ON TUESDAY, 28 SEPTEMBER 2004, AT 7.00 PM

His Excellency, Andreas Michaelis,
German Ambassador to Singapore

Mr Teo Kian Teck, Commander Traffic Police

Dr Rainer Thiel, CEO Daimler Chrysler SEA

Mr Wolfgang Huppenbauer,
Managing Director, Daimler Chrysler SEA Singapore Operations

Mr Chew Chong Theng, Principal, Lakeside Primary School

Principals and Teachers

Distinguished Guests and Community Leaders

Parents, and Boys and Girls

Good evening.

1. I am pleased to join you at the launch of the Mercedes-Benz MobileKids Tour. The importance of road safety is clear to all of us. Few events are as tragic as traffic accidents that injure or take the lives of our young children.

2. In 2003, there were almost 10 accidents involving children every month. Children between the ages of seven and twelve are particularly at risk. They are increasingly mobile at that age and often independent of their parents and teachers. But they are not always conscious of the dangers. Whether taking the school bus or public bus, or walking to and from school or to nearby shops, children in this age group need to be taught about road safety.

3. The Mercedes-Benz MobileKids Tour in Singapore is designed to build awareness of the dangers of carelessness on the roads. The programme is not about teaching road safety rules in the classroom. It is about engaging students in a fun-filled way in the compounds of their schools, and sensitizing them to the dangers of flouting road safety rules. It is about equipping them with the intuition to react and to take deliberate actions at all times to ensure their safety. MobileKids will complement what we teach on road safety in our school curriculum.

4. Starting with Lakeside Primary today, MobileKids will be touring all our primary schools, as well as the international schools, so that its benefits are spread widely. To add a sense of challenge, I understand that students’ performance in the various MobileKids themed domes will be tracked via their personal ez-link cards. Students with the highest scores will be appointed MobileKids Ambassadors and will take on the responsibility of being role models for road safety awareness in their own schools. I am also told that funds collected from the sales of MobileKids merchandise will be used to assist children who need help in meeting their recess time expenses.

5. At the end of the day, all of us must play a part to help keep our children safe. Parents especially, are natural role models for children. They have to practise good road safety habits themselves if they expect children to do the same. If we take chances just because we are late or caught in bad weather, our children too will think it is acceptable to take chances.

6. Our appreciation goes to DaimlerChrysler South East Asia – Singapore Operations for organising and bringing this beneficial programme to our schools. I also commend the Singapore Traffic Police for spearheading this initiative, and the various schools that have already taken an interest in the programme.

7. I commend Lakeside Primary for opening the school compound to the community for this programme. Over the next few weeks, parents and residents of Taman Jurong will be able to enjoy and experience the benefits of the MobileKids programme with their children.

8. I wish all students and parents an enjoyable evening in the MobileKids domes.